Club Periodically wins 2025 Student Group of the Year Award

Every year, the University of Alberta Students’ Union (UASU) recognizes a student group which has made a significant difference on campus and benefited the student population. 

For the 2025 year, the UASU presented the award to Club Periodically, co-founded in 2023 by Aidan Ly and Tracy Cui.  

Beginnings and goals of the group 

Club Periodically started from a simple idea: turning menstrual pad wrappers into phone cases. The group was initially a post-high-school initiative, and turned into an official student group once Ly and Cui began their studies at the University of Alberta. 

A year ago, the co-founders ran a referendum to help provide free baskets to bathrooms across campus. “They have free pads, free liners, and free tampons for whoever needs them,” Ly said.

Currently, there are around 30 Metro baskets across campus, with plans to expand to 50 by the end of the Winter 2027 term, according to Ly. The group also distributes long-term reusable products, including menstrual underwear, cups, and discs. 

Many period products contain single-use plastics. Therefore, promoting sustainability is one of the group’s main goals. Today, the group repurposes pad wrappers by incorporating them into earrings, notebook covers, and of course, phone cases. “The notebook covers use up about 150 to 200 pad wrappers per notebook. So they’re made entirely out of sustainable materials,” Cui said.

De-stigmatization is another key mission of Club Periodically. Cui said she personally faced self-imposed stigma regarding menstruation, and seeing pad wrappers repurposed helps to reduce shame. “It kind of becomes a conversation starter, and it’s a lot friendlier,” she said.

Cui described the group as a supportive space for “members and people of the community to come unwind and have fun.” The group encourages members to get creative when making crafts out of pad wrappers and to focus on something other than academics.  

The future of Club Periodically 

Running a successful student group comes with both highlights and challenges. Ly said he personally grew more comfortable talking about periods as a non-menstruator, while Cui emphasized an increase in menstruation-related discourse as a key highlight. 

“I think some of the really rewarding parts was talking to people that often aren’t involved in period-related discourse,” she said. The group did not expect the great amount of positive feedback and receptiveness to its initiative. “So it was a nice surprise.”

The two co-founders were certainly busy running the group. “There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that doesn’t really get its time in the spotlight,” said Cui. Collecting 5,700 signatures for their earlier referendum meant hours of campaigning and classroom presentations.

Looking ahead, the group is planning events to involve high schools. They are also looking to plan collaborative events with other student groups.

The baskets with free menstrual products will also expand, with the hope of at least one basket per building and eventually one per floor. This will continue the group’s aim of passive destigmatization.